


On A Heart of Stone

by acommontater



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Character Study, Gen, Lin Beifong Centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:56:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26092981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acommontater/pseuds/acommontater
Summary: When she was younger, she’d always loved meditating with Tenzin and Uncle Aang. It was peaceful in a way living with her mother and sister never was. Sometimes she would still go to the roof of her apartment building and sit quietly in the evening. It wasn’t quite the same, but it was still calming.(Snapshots of Lin Beifong and her airbenders through the years.)
Relationships: Aang & Lin Beifong, Lin Beifong & Toph Beifong, Lin Beifong/Tenzin
Comments: 13
Kudos: 115





	On A Heart of Stone

**Author's Note:**

> Character study? Character study. Have I been able to get the line "Lin and my father got along famously." out of my head since the first time I watched Korra? No. Do I have many emotions about the gaangs kids? Yes.
> 
> #LinBeifongDeservedBetter2kAlways

The rocks smash together and fall to rubble.

“Really good, Lin! Let’s take a break.”

Lin sighs with relief and cheers when she sees the fresh pitcher of watermelon juice and a plate of snacks. Her tutor bends a low table up from the ground and they take their seats.

“I like practicing with you so much more than with Mom, Uncle Aang.” She says, helping herself to the slices of fruit.

“Oh? Why’s that?”

Lin huffs and rolls her eyes.

“Mom trains me and Su like we’re her students, but yelling doesn’t help with earthbending.”

Her uncle hums in understanding.

“You know, your mom used to yell at me about my earthbending all the time.”

“Really?” Lin looks at him with wide eyes. Her uncle nods seriously.

“Oh yes. Still does sometimes, actually.”

Lin feels better knowing that. If her mom still yells at the _Avatar-_ who is also her uncle and the _nicest_ person she knows- about his earthbending, maybe she just likes to yell.

“But Lin,” She looks up at her uncle’s kind face. “if you’re having trouble with training with your mother, you should tell her. I know she’s tough, but she’ll listen to you if you talk to her.”

“Will you help me?” Lin asks in a small voice.

“Of course, let’s talk to her when she comes to pick you and Suyin up.”

/

Sometimes, even though she’d never ever admit it to anyone, _especially_ not to Tenzin, she secretly wishes that her Uncle Aang and Auntie Katara could be her parents instead.

When she and Tenzin start dating, it almost seems like it will happen.

Then they date long enough that they start seriously talking about the future and things go to shit.

She loses her best friend since childhood, boyfriend of over a decade, and all their combined future plans in one blowout fight.

(He dreams of a large family, of kids- little airbenders- to dote on and teach. Of living happily in the temples. Lin has the sudden terrible realization that she has never once dreamed of anything of the sort. She has never wanted children and her place is in the city. Their initially casual talk turns into a familiar argument, which evolves into a fight worse than any they’ve ever had before. Things are said that both of them might eventually regret.) ((Maybe she’d let her annoyance at the way one of the pretty little air acolytes kept looking at him get to her.))

It’s satisfying to chuck boulders at his stupid, awful, baldass head. Her aim is a little off from her tears, but it’s still annoying as he manages to dodge every stone as they make their way around the island.

“Get back here, you absolutely spineless shit!” she screams as he hovers above her on Oogi, just out of reach of her wires. He’s calling something down to her, trying to placate her, but she can’t hear him over the blood pounding in her ears.

Her mother and her uncle have to come and separate them in the end.

“Would you quit throwing a temper tantrum, you’re scaring the acolytes.” Her mother grunts, pulling her into an awkward hug. “Let’s get you home.”

/

A few years later, the late knock on her office door is unexpected. She glances at the clock, then groans. She’d meant to go home a few hours ago, really this time.

“Come in.” She calls, rubbing her temples.

The door opens to reveal familiar red and yellow robes. Lin sighs.

“What do you want, Tenzin.”

He doesn’t answer for a moment. She looks up to give him a glare, but stops at his disheveled appearance and red-rimmed eyes. There’s even a shadow on his head like he’d forgotten to shave that morning.

“You look like shit.” She states, after another long moment of silence. “Sit.” She points to one of the uncomfortable chairs in front of her desk.

He runs a hand over his face with a sigh and takes a seat. He looks exhausted.

“Lin, I. I know things are… strained between us right now.” Lin snorts. “but I wanted you to hear from me, not the press. We’d managed to keep the reporters out of temple business for this long but-“

“Spit it out, it’s late.”

“My father-“ His voice seems to give out on him. “My father is dying, Lin.”

She freezes.

“I know you two were always close, I didn’t want you to have to find out in the papers or on the radio.”

“Thanks.” She manages. “Wh- How is he doing?”

Tenzin just gives her a wane look. They sit silently until he finally stands, the chair scraping harshly along the ground.

“You know you’re always welcome at the island.” He says quietly. “That’s all. I just wanted to let you know.”

“Wait.” He freezes where he’s turned to leave. Lin sighs, standing and walking over. She places a gentle hand on his shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Tenzin. Your father is a good man.”

He reaches up to cover her hand with his. She can feel him relax slightly.

“Thank you.”

“Let me know if you need any extra security around the island, I’ll send some of my best along.” She squeezes his shoulder before pulling her hand back. She can see the tips of his fingers resting on his own shoulder for a beat longer.

“I appreciate that, Lin.”

/

She puts off going to the island for a few days.

“This is stupid.” She finally growls, slamming down her paperwork. She leaves her office, barking out final orders for the day before leaving early. It’s almost odd to leave the building with the sun still up. She squints at it balefully as she makes her way down to the dock.

The ferry trundles slowly across the bay. Lin leans on the rail and looks at the great statue that looks over the city. The giant version of her uncle is younger that she’d ever known him, still a teen unable to grow a beard. She can’t imagine him any younger but knows that it had been years before when he’d stopped a multigenerational war. Her mind conjures up a younger Tenzin, still baby faced and high voiced, facing down a Fire Lord vastly more imposing than Fire Lord Zuko. It makes her shudder.

The ferry docks at the island and she exits, walking across the familiar weathered boards and stones leading up to the main building.

She comes across a few acolytes, exchanging shallow bows in greeting.

“Do you know where Unc- where Avatar Aang is at the moment?”

They point her in the direction of the meditation pavilion, and she thanks them before slowly making her way across the island.

She can see the top of his head before she reaches the top of the steps. He doesn’t turn around to face her, sitting comfortably in lotus position looking out over the bay. She stands awkwardly at the entrance.

“Hello, Lin.” She jumps a little and her uncle laughs. “You can come in, it’s alright.”

She walks into the pavilion proper and drops down to sit next to him. He turns to her with a smile.

“It is truly an honor to have the esteemed Chief of Police visit her humble uncle after so long.”

Lin rolls her eyes, but lets her shoulders drop a little at the gentle chastisement. Aang merely looks at her with a gentle expression. He doesn’t look much different, maybe a little more drawn, a little tired, but that could mean anything. He catches her searching look and his smile turns wry.

“You’ve spoken with my son, I gather.”

Lin nods.

“He came by the other day. Said that he thought I should hear it from him instead of the press.”

Aang nods.

“It wouldn’t do for the press to splash news about my eventual death all over the front page before I’ve even been able to notify all the members of my family.”

Lin doesn’t let herself flinch at the easy way he says it, but her hands curl reflexively in her lap.

“Does…. Does mom know?” She asks, staring at the ground. Aang chuckles, but it lacks the usual mirth.

“She knew nearly as soon as I did. Can’t keep anything secret around that woman.”

“Don’t I know it.” Lin mutters.

They sit quietly for a long minute. She’s suddenly aware of a burning behind her eyes. Tries to swallow the lump in her throat and doesn’t quite manage it.

“Oh, Lin.”

Her uncle stands and pulls her up too before tugging her into a hug. She cries then, furious with herself that he’s having to comfort _her_ when _he’s_ the one who is…. Lin buries her face in his shoulder. His robes are still the same soft material she remembers from growing up, the same familiar smell of incense and sea breeze clinging to the fabric. She doesn’t know how long she stands there, feeling all of eight years old again in her uncle’s arms. Eventually she gets a hold of herself and steps back, scrubbing at her face.

“Sorry.” She says.

“No need to apologize.” Aang tells her. “Don’t deny yourself any particular emotion. Grief is a process.”

“Yeah, but. It’s. You’re right here.” She gestures.

“And soon enough, I will not be.” He says calmly. She hates it, the same serenity that had so often makes her want to _shake_ Tenzin, sounding so gentle from his father. “But we have time together yet.”

Lin bends the metal of her outfit soft and sits down next to her uncle. He smiles at her and returns to his peaceful meditative position. Lin does her best to match him, closing her eyes. She listens to him breathe and slowly matches the slow breaths in and out. If she concentrates hard enough she can feel both of their pulses echoing back at her in the stone beneath them.

Instead she focuses on their matching breaths, the breeze that comes in over the hillside from the water, and the soft sound of the waves somewhere beneath them.

(When she was younger, she’d always loved meditating with Tenzin and Uncle Aang. It was peaceful in a way living with her mother and sister never was. Sometimes she would still go to the roof of her apartment building and sit quietly in the evening. It wasn’t quite the same, but it was still calming.)

Lin doesn’t realize how much time as passed until she hears her uncle give a contented sigh before standing up. She stands as well and turns down the offer of dinner, no matter how good she knew the food on the island was, as well as a ride home. Aang walks with her down to the dock to catch the ferry and waves as the boat pulls away from the weathered wooden slats.

The sudden double vision of her and her sister being small and waving madly at their auntie and uncle and friends until they were out of sight, and then again until their arms got tired, brings a lump to her throat.

She lifts a hand and waves until she can’t make out the bright airbender robes against the dimness of dusk. Then she waves just a little longer.

/

On the solemn ferry ride back to the city after the funeral, Lin stares at the statue again. It has been draped in mourning blacks and whites and the statue’s face has been covered with a veil.

It hits her with a sudden jolt that she will never see her uncle old. Well, he’d been old, but never the creaky, snowy white _old_ like her grandparents had been.

She refuses to cry on this boat full of strangers. None of them actually knew him. None of them get to share in her grief.

It’s a strange feeling, having the sightless metal eyes of someone so dear always watching over her, when she’ll never really see him again.

/

Years later, the door to her office bursts open with a gust of wind.

She peers over her desk to find a tiny person with big grey eyes, dressed in orange and yellow novice air temple robes and giving her a hard look.

“Hello.”

The child patters around the desk and is next to her chair before she can do anything.

“I’m Jinora.” She tells Lin.

“I know.” Lin tells her. She hadn’t been able to bring herself to meet any of Tenzin’s family yet, but since they were high profile persons of the Republic, she knew enough about them.

Jinora squints at her, then seems to decide against whatever she’d been about to say. Instead, she pulls something from her pocket and holds it up to show her.

“My dad says that you’re the best earthbender in the city. Can you fix this, please?”

“Your dad said that, huh?”

Lin takes the object, well, pieces of object from Jinora. Something clenches in her chest and she grits her teeth. The little clay version of an air bison- legs and horns in sorry shape- lay in her hands.

“What happened here?” She asks. Jinora looks ashamed. She toes the ground and doesn’t meet her eye.

“I was practicing some moves in daddy’s office and knocked it down by accident.”

“Mmmm, there’s a reason bending is best left for outside.”

(Lin remembers bending the bison into shape. She’d presented it proudly to her uncle for his birthday, even though he insisted that Air Nomads didn’t celebrate things like that. He’d been delighted and put it in place of honor after showing it to Appa.

“Look at what Lin made, buddy! It’s you!”)

Lin pretends to examine the sculpture pieces for a moment, just to make sure the point is driven home as the little girl squirms. Then she quickly reshapes it into its original form. Jinora looks relieved.

The door bursts open again, with another frantic airbender barging into her office. This one she gives a much less impressed look.

“Tenzin. Councilmembers aren’t allowed to just barge into my office.”

“My apologies, L- Chief Beifong, but my daughter is-“ Jinora pokes her head out from behind Lin’s desk sheepishly. “-right here, oh thank goodness.”

He lets out a relieved sigh, resting a hand on his heart. Lin watches as he kneels down to gently scold Jinora for running away from his office.

“Apologize to Chief Beifong for interrupting her.”

Jinora scuffs her foot on the floor.

“Sorry.”

“Now go back and wait in my office, we’ll head home soon.”

Jinora leaves the room on a slightly sulky air scooter. Tenzin turns back to face Lin.

“I am so sorry about that Lin, I turned my back for one minute and she’d vanished. What was she doing here?”

Lin tosses the little statue at him and he catches it in a careful pocket of air.

“She was just showing me something she found in your office.”

Tenzin looks mildly baffled as he looks at the little statue in his hands.

She can still see Jinora’s tiny head peeking around the door, looking relieved that Lin hadn’t ratted her out to her father. She shoots the little girl a wink and Jinora grins before scampering away.

“Oh. Well. Thank you, Lin.”

She nods.

“Mmhmm. Now get out of my office.”

Tenzin backs out and lets the door shut behind him.

Lin allows herself a small smile down at her desk before she continues on with her day.

If she steps a little lighter, she’s the only one the wiser.


End file.
